TUESDAY, July 31, 2018 -- Azedra (iobenguane) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat people 12 and older with rare adrenal gland tumors that can't be surgically removed and have spread beyond the original site.

The adrenal glands sit above the kidneys and produce the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine. The rare tumors known as pheochromocytomas spike production of these hormones, leading to possible symptoms including high blood pressure, headache, irritability, excessive sweating and rapid heartbeat. Sometimes, such tumors develop outside the adrenal gland, where they're called paragangliomas, the FDA said in a news release.

FRIDAY, July 20, 2018 -- Tibsovo (ivosidenib) tablets have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) among people with a defective IDH1 gene.

"The use of Tibsovo is associated with a complete remission in some patients and a reduction in the need for both red cell and platelet transfusions," said Dr. Richard Pazdur, director of the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence.

TUESDAY, June 5, 2018 -- The first "biosimilar" drug to Neulasta, designed to ward off infections related to chemotherapy, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Fulphila (pegfilgrastim) is approved for people with symptoms of febrile neutropenia, which is characterized by fever and other signs of infection such as low white-blood-cell count, the FDA said in a news release. People receiving immune-system suppressing chemotherapy for non-bone marrow cancer are at heightened risk for febrile neutropenia, the agency added.

WEDNESDAY, May 30, 2018 -- U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Xeljanz (tofacitinib) has been expanded to include adults with active moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, the agency said Wednesday.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, characterized by recurring flares of abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Symptoms also may include fatigue, weight loss and fever.

WEDNESDAY, May 30, 2018 -- The first artificial iris to replace the colored section of the eye that surrounds the pupil has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Many people who are candidates for the device were born with a condition called aniridia, a rare genetic disorder in which the iris is missing or damaged. The condition affects 1 in 50,000 to 100,000 people in the United States, the FDA said Wednesday in a news release.

MONDAY, May 21, 2018 -- Doptelet (avatrombopag) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with chronic liver disease who are slated to have a medical or dental procedure.

People with ongoing liver disease often have low blood platelet count, which raises their risk for dangerous bleeding during a medical procedure, the agency said Monday in a news release.